Arch-supporter.



J. MAY. ARCH SUPPORTER.

APPLICATION FILED 111:0. a1, 1907.

Patentd July 23, 1912.

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JOSEPH MAY, or FRAn'KroRr-oN-THE-MAIN, GERMANY.

ARCH-SUPPORTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1912.

Application filed December 31, 1907. Serial No. 408,847.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JosErH ll/IAY, a citizenof the German Empire, residing at Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Arch-Supporters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in arch-supporters for deformed orflat feet and the object of my invention is to provide a device of thekind referred to which may be fitted to the shape of any foot, andaccordingly very conveniently. adjusted to the same at any stage of thecomplaint of the foot or the recovery therefrom.

I attain my object by the construction illustrated on the drawingherewith, in

which Figure 1 is a'view from'below of the bottom-side of anarch-supporter as herein described; Fig. 2 is a side view of the supporter as in its ordinary position, while Fig. 3 is a similar viewshowing the device as changed and accordingly flattened. Fig. 4

' corresponds with Fig. 2, except that the adjustable tie-strap hereinbelow referred to has an extra strengthening for very weighty persons. j

My device comprises'a loose insole con sisting of a curved plate or bodya of elastic material of some strength, the ends'of the said body torest on the bottom of the boot or shoe. To control the curvature of thearch of the body a I provide a tie-strap b which is on the drawingrepresented as a detachable strap having a. perforation a near each endconsisting of two portions of different sizes communicating with eachother, the smaller of the two being the one nearestto the respectiveend, and the body a may have a pair of immovable flat headed but-- tonsor pins (Z, d the heads of which-may be passed through the largerportions of the perforations, the stems or necks being moved into thesmaller portions and engaged by the latter. As illustrated in Fig. 2which shows the device in normal position, the curvature of thetie-strap 6 corresponds almost entirely with .the arch of the plate orinsole a while when the pressure of the foot acts upon the plate a thesame flattens down,

gliding freely along until restrained by the strap which has becomestraight as shown in Fig. 8. There should be ready for every supporter anumber of tie-straps I), each of different length between the saidend-perfo'rations, any of which straps may be used and particularly thelength which corresponds with the curvature of the arch of the foot forthe support of which the device is to be employed. Thusfor a foot whichis very flat and requires a flat-arched supporter I use a longer tiethan for a higharched foot. (Comp. Figs. 2 and 3). The detachability ofthetie strap has the further advantage that it permits the replacementof the strap not only for the adjustment of the device to the shape ofthe foot,.but also whenever an exchange becomes necessary by breakingortearing. A very weighty person may use a tie which is strengthened by.an additional strap 6, as shown in Fig. 4, to

take up part of his weight.

For the inner side-support of a deformed foot there may be removably andadjustably secured in the body a, crosswise of the tie-strap and on orbeneath the body a, a support-piece 2' with a flap which is bent upwardin a curve toward the ankle. It may be secured as shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawing where there are provided slots is, in which there may betransversely moved and adjusted by means of suitable nuts or heads thelittle screw-bolts Z, Z fixed in the body a though the said bolts may befixed in the support-piece and instead thereof the slots provided in thebody a. In order not to impair the flexibility of the latter thesupport-piece may be provided with a large notch. The office of the saidsupport-piece being merely to afford a side-support for the foot, it maybe of much softer and more flexible material than the body a and thus bemade to adapt itself to the shape of any foot and adjusted to meet anydeformity without causing any. pain, even if the foot, be it flat orhigh arched, is very sensitive.

It is evident that changes, variations and modifications may be resortedto without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore donot wish to restrict myself to the particular details of construction asshown in the drawing, but reserve the right to make such changes,variations and modifications as come properly within the said spirit. v

I claim:

1. Anarch supporter for deformed feet 7 comprising a resilientadjustable supporting plate and a one piece interchangeable tie strapextending lengthwise of said plate and having its ends removably securedto the supporting plate at points intermediate of the ends of saidplate, said tie strap being arranged to maintain said plate in itsadjusted position and to limit the compression movement thereof.

' thereto.

3. An arch-supporter for deformed feet comprising the combination of aresilient curved plate, a removable tie-strap strengthened by anadditional strap, and rigid means located on said curved plate adaptedto engage the said tie-strap, substantially as de scribed and for thepurpose set forth.

4. An arch-supporter for deformedrfeet comprising the combination of aresilient curved plate, a removable tie-strap, rigid means carried bythe said plate adapted to engage the said tie-strap, a transverselyadjustable support-piece having a flap upwardly bent and a screw in aslot adapted tosecure the said support-piece in its adjusted position,substantially as described and for purposes set forth.

5. An arch supporter for deformed feet comprising a resilient adjustablesupporting plate, a removable tie strap for maintaining said. plate inits adjusted position, and sta tionary projections extending downwardlyfrom said supporting plate for detachably engaging said tie strap.

6. An arch supporter comprising a resilient adjustable supporting plate,fixed projections carried by said plate, and a removable tie strapprovided with slots adapted to detachably engage said projections andmaintain said supporting plate in its adjusted position and limit itscompression movement.

7 An arch supporter comprising a resilient adjustable supporting plate,fixed pro jections carried by said plate, a tie strap arranged todetachably engage said projections for maintaining said supporting platein its adjusted position and for limiting its compression movement, andan additional tie strap securedto said first-named tie strap.

8. An arch supporter comprising a resilient adjustable supporting plate,a removable tie strap for maintaining said supporting plate in itsadjusted position and for limiting its compression movement, fixed meanson said supporting plate adapted to detachably engage said strap, atransversely adjustable support piece on said plate and having anupwardly extending flap and provided with slots, and screws carried bysaid supporting plate and adapted to cooperate with said slots to permitthe transverse adjustment of .said support piece and to secure it in itsadjusted position. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to thisspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH MAY. \Vitnesses:

JEAN GRUND, CARL GRUND.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

